The Slime Mold Murder

De: Ellen King Rice

Narrado por: Jonathan Summers

A Winner of the 2020 IPPY Gold Medal for best regional fiction, Ellen King Rice is back with a fourth biological adventure set in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, this time, exploring the fascinating world of the Myxogastria slime molds.

At 19, Dylan’s brilliant mind is an asset as he struggles with severe ADHD and deteriorating living conditions. He’s one semester away from completing his college degree in ecology, but he’s out of cash, out of soap, and about to be evicted.

A post-pandemic opportunity to survey a rural property sounds like a lifeline. The owner of a creepy faux-chateau is ready to pay a handsome wage for a list of species found on the property. Dylan can’t believe his good luck. He’s about to be paid to wander in the woods. How hard can it be to make a plant list?

Dylan’s contract is threatened when a body is found in the woods. Dylan seeks the reason for the death, but his lightning-fast mind is constantly undermined by his poor executive functioning. He can discourse eloquently on the significance of Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, but he can’t find his wallet. He longs to adopt an orphaned West Highland terrier, but he’s not sure he’d remember to feed a dog. He certainly can’t afford a bag of dog kibble, much less the repairs needed on his vintage Honda.

How can Dylan’s intuitive grasp of ecology and the complex life cycles of the Myxogastria help to expose a killer? And how does he protect his friends and a small, confused dog from those who eagerly embrace violence?

Ellen King Rice is a wildlife biologist who explores the woods while wearing leg braces. Her slow pace has provided opportunities to learn about the Northwest’s small and cryptic species. Her vivid adventures shine a spotlight on the richness found on the forest floor, augmented by crisp illustrations from Olympia artist, Duncan Sheffels. This award-winning pair have been charming woodland lovers since 2016.

©2021 Ellen King Rice (P)2022 Ellen King Rice

I loved that the narrator seemed to really know how to pronounce the words

I enjoyed the story very much. It kept me interested and wondering how it was going to end. I will read this author again.

A plus

Great science and love the struggle the hero has with his ADHD and high IQ.
The audio performance was very good and enthusiastic about the characters.
A plus

Enjoyable read

I really enjoyed this book. It's not my usual genre, but I am glad that I branched out. The story is fun and well-written; the characters are developed and real. The narrator did a fantastic job bringing the story to life and creating individual voices. I definitely recommend this book.

Fun and Quirky

I loved the audible version of this book. I learned some biology, got introduced to some very interesting characters and found out about the Northwest from a totally different perspective!

Maybe not for queer or BIPOC audiences. Also the story itself didn't seem plausible at all.

As a story meant to take place in our world, post pandemic, it did not follow any basic or sensible narrative for a murder investigation. The investigation was absurdly implausible. That entire police department would be in hot water, especially for the Scooby-doo style "sit down and explain all aspects of the case to victims & their families before any court cases have even started." The story felt rushed and poorly-researched, outside of the mycology facts (which were cool). More effort from the author to understand what happens after a murder is reported would have gone a long way.

Also not a single character seemed emotionally impacted by *a murder* except for one person who threw up once and was then ready to shrug it off. So, I think a swing & a miss for trauma representation as well.

*Spoiler alerts below*
(because it's a bit difficult to say what may be problematic for queer/BIPOC folks while avoiding any spoilers)

As a queer person I was disappointed in the casual approach to the murder, with even dear friends/lovers of the deceased admitting and victim blaming a single day after the murder: "oh they kind of deserved it." The targeted murder of queer people is a sensitive and very real issue. It was dealt with almost in indifference.

The very casual "how inappropriate, harumph" response of basically all characters to racist KKK styled harassment/threats missed the mark. It felt like the way someone would respond to bad customer service ("well that was sucky, oh well, let's move on with our day") more than a response to trespass and property damage, all to orchestrate KKK hate symbols to intimidate and threaten dozens of people.

I really did like the mycology facts though. The fungi information was pretty sweet. That was the best part of the book. And the main character was interesting.